PROFILE Application Introduction
If you are an international applicant or an independent student, please see the special instructions towards the end of this document. Your PROFILE Application will not be processed correctly if more than one person is signed in to your application at the same time. Make sure only one person on one computer is signed in to your application at all times.
Navigating the Application
Saving - Your information is saved each time you click "Save," "Save & Continue," or click on another section. If you want to sign out of your application in the middle of a section and return to your application later, click "Save & Exit" to leave.
Navigating - At the top of each application screen you will see "GO TO SECTION." Using that drop down list box you can navigate to any section of your application.
Do not use your browser's "Back" and "Forward" buttons to move through your application. Only use the buttons within the application such as "Previous," "Continue," or "Save & Continue." The application's buttons will save your information as you move through the application, but your browser's buttons will not. Parent sections have a green and white background. All other sections are blue and white. Printing - At any time, you can print a copy of the information that you have entered by clicking "Print/Review Application" at the top or bottom of any application screen.
Completing the Application
Before you begin - Print and use your customized Pre-Application Worksheet and Application Instructions that were provided at the end of Registration. (If you missed them, both are available on the Home Page.) Most applicants find that completing the PreApplication Worksheet speeds up the online process considerably.
Estimating - If 2011 actual income and expense figures are not available, estimate as best you can. Questions that contain U.S. IRS tax line references are displayed based on the tax return you or your parents report filing or planning to file for 2011. If you filed a different tax return type in a previous year, or you need additional help estimating, see the Help Desk for more information on estimating, including tips, draft U.S. federal income tax forms, and a U.S. federal income tax line reference table for 2010 and 2011.
Number format - When a question asks for a number - an amount of money, a telephone number, etc. - enter numbers only. Do not enter currency symbols, commas (,), periods (.), or cents (decimals) in a financial field. Round to the nearest dollar. In nonfinancial fields (e.g. telephone number), do not enter hyphens, parentheses, or spaces.
Does not apply - If a financial question (income, assets, or expenses) does not apply, enter a zero (0). Do not leave it blank unless specifically instructed otherwise. Non-financial questions (e.g. a year, a name) should be left blank if they do not apply.
Pre-filled information - If you submitted a 2011-12 PROFILE Application some information may have been pre-filled from last year's application. Please review your information carefully.
On-time - Your application will be considered on time if you submit your PROFILE by midnightEastern Time of your earliest priority filing date. The College Board will begin processing your application immediately after submission.
User name - Put your user name and password in a safe and accessible place. You will need it to return to your PROFILE Application. You may use the same user name from yearto-year. Using the same user name and password next year will pre-fill some of your information. You cannot use the same user name and password for other family members, even in a different processing year.
Pop-up blocker - Help text and important edits will often be blocked if you have a pop-up blocker on. We suggest you turn it off while completing the application.
The information below will be helpful to have available when filling out the Application. We suggest you gather them before completing the application:
2011 federal income tax return(s), if completed 2010 federal income tax return(s) W-2 forms and other records of money earned in 2011 Records of untaxed income and benefits for 2010 and 2011 Current bank statements Current mortgage information Records of savings, stocks, bonds, trusts, and other investments
If a tax return won't be filed: Even if you will not file an income tax return for 2011, it will be necessary to know earnings for the year. Also, records documenting the income reported on the PROFILE will very likely be needed by your colleges and programs. If a tax return has not been completed yet: If you haven't completed a 2011 federal income tax return but will be filing one, it is recommended that one be completed before the PROFILE Application is filled out. However, if the student's college(s) or program(s) have an early priority filing date and completing the tax return is not possible, estimate 2011 income and benefits using income and tax records from 2010 in addition to salary records from 2011. See the Help Desk for more information on estimating, including tips, draft U.S. federal income tax forms, and a U.S. federal income tax line reference table for 2010 and 2011. Updating Your Information If you submit your application with estimated tax information, once you've completed your tax returns you should send updated information directly to the student's colleges and programs that have already received the PROFILE Application data. If you add colleges as recipients of your application data you may make updates to your information as part of the Add College or Program Request (ACR) process. Your updated data will only be reported to the added colleges or programs. Independent Students Please note, some colleges and programs require financial aid applicants to report parents' information even if you meet the conditions for "independent" student status. This is because they have limited institutional grant aid, and may take the parents' resources into account in deciding how much aid to award an independent student. If the parents' sections are displayed on your application, that information is required by your college or program; you must provide
information about your parents in those sections. Questions regarding a college's application policy should be directed to that college's financial aid office. International Applicants If you country's tax year does not follow the calendar year you should collect information listed above for your country's last tax year that ended or will end before April 1, 2012, and the year previous to that. If, for example, your country's tax year runs from April 1 to March 31, collect the information for the tax year that ended or will end March 31, 2012 and the tax year that ended March 31, 2011. If your country's tax year runs from July 1 to June 30, collect the information for the tax year that ended June 30, 2011 and the tax year that ended June 30, 2010. Throughout the application, wherever you are asked for information from "your country's most recent tax year," report information from your country's last tax year that ended or will end before April 1, 2012. You will also be asked questions about your household expenses. You should gather those records as well. You must complete the application in English using a standard American keyboard. Umlauts, tildes, or similar characters not found on a standard American keyboard may cause processing problems.
If you have additional questions
find: Click on "Help Desk" at the top of most pages for further information. There you will
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Glossaries in English and Spanish
Tips for Separated and Divorced Parents, Self-Employed Parents, Estimating Income, and International Applicants Institutions that require PROFILE, Noncustodial PROFILE (NCP), and IDOC Blank 2011 U.S. IRS Tax Forms U.S. Federal Income Tax Form Line Reference Table for 2010 and 2011 Security Information
Click on "Contact Us" at the top of most pages to contact customer service via telephone or email.